Center strut sprinkler

ABSTRACT

A fire extinguishing sprinkler comprising a frame having a discharge orifice and a spaced oppositely disposed deflector and means positioned therebetween normally closing the discharge orifice and responsive in opening to predetermined heat conditions.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Theodore Vorkapich Campbell, Ohio [21] Appl, No. 803,391

[22] Filed Feb. 28,1969

[45] Patented June 8, 1971 [73] Assignee Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America Cleveland, Ohio Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 690,957, Dec. 15, 1967, now Patent No.

[54] CENTER STRUT SPRINKLER 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 169/39 [51] Int. CL... A62c 37/12 [50] Field of Search 169/37, 38, 39, 40, 42

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,348,152 5/1944 Rowley 169/39 2,357,227 8/1944 Rowley..... 169/39 2,502,754 4/1950 Rowley 169/38 3,336,984 8/1967 Macartney 169/38 Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, .lr. Assistant Examiner-Michael Y. Mar Attorney-Webster B. Harpman ABSTRACT: A fire extinguishing sprinkler comprising a frame having a discharge orifice and spaced oppositely disposed deflector and means positioned therebetween normally closing the discharge orifice and responsive in opening to predetermined heat conditions.

PATENTEB JUN slsm 3.5839192 Theodore VOI'kO U/CVL.

WV M CENTER STRUT SPRINKLER This is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 690,957, new U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,383.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to fire extinguishing sprinklers as used in an automatic fire extinguishing sprinkler system.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior structures of this type usually employ a lever assembly and a fusible element positioned between a cap on a discharge orifice and an adjustment screw positioned centrally of the deflector and the frame of the sprinkler, the arrangement being to tension the cap. (US. Pat. Nos. 3,l6l,236, 2,165,477, 2,129,021 and l,9l9,508 for examples.) This invention eliminates many of the problems attendant upon the manufacture and assembly of the component parts of the sprinklers of the prior art devices as the devices of the prior art must be carefully made to close tolerances and even more carefully assembled into sprinklers in order to be operable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention discloses an improvement in the means holding the discharge orifice closed by substituting a simple assembly of levers engaged at one end on a cap on a discharge orifice and at their other end on a compression pin in the frame of the fire extinguishing sprinkler. The levers are so arranged that one of them which is an inverted L-shape is engaged by the other off center of the point of contact with the compression pin so that its depending arm portion tends to move outwardly unless restrained. Restraining elements in the form of a pair of opposed sears temporarily cage the depending portion of this lever and the scars themselves are positioned through an opening in the other of the two levers and held in spaced apart (holding) relation by means of a fusible element disposed therebetween. The fusible element is therefore in compression between the sears and upon fusing the scars are enabled to move toward one another and are thereby capable of passing through the opening in the one lever, falling free and thereby freeing the caged portion of the other lever thus permitting the fire extinguishing sprinkler to open.

The construction is easy to form, of simple parts, and equally easy to assemble and it possesses the ability of falling free of the fire extinguishing sprinkler once the fusible element reaches its flow point at its predetermined temperature.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a front plan view of fire extinguishing sprinkler incorporating the improved lever and heat releasable fastener assembly.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the fire extinguishing sprinkler seen in FIG. 1 with parts broken away and parts in cross section.

FIG. 3 is a back elevation of the fire extinguishing sprinkler seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the improved lever and heat releasable fastener assembly of the sprinkler illustrating the operation of the same upon fusing of the heat releasable fastener.

By referring to the drawing and FIGS. l, 2 and 3 in particular, it will be seen that the fire extinguishing sprinkler comprises a sprinkler frame 10 having a base portion 11 exteriorly threaded as at 12 and defining a vertical passageway 13 axially thereof, the upper end of which forms a discharge orifice 14. The upper central portion of the frame 10 is enlarged as at 15, and is centrally apertured to receive a compression pin 16. A deflector 17 is positioned on the upper end of the frame 10. The discharge orifice 14 is normally closed by a cap 18 together with a gasket 19 thereunder, as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings and the cap 18 is held in closed position on the discharge orifice 14 by by lever and heat releasable fastener assembly.

The lever and heat releasable fastener assembly comprises a primary lever 20, which stands vertically in a groove 21 in the tioned at one side of the axial center line of the sprinkler and in engagement with a secondary groove 24 formed in the lower surface of the horizontal section 25 of an inverted L- shaped secondary lever 26. The secondary lever 26 is of inverted L-shaped configuration with its lowermost vertically extending portion 27 being relatively narrower than its upper portion as best seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The relatively narrower depending portion 26 is positioned in spaced relation adjacent the rectangular opening 22 in the primary lever 20 as best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

A pair of oppositely disposed sears 28 each of which is provided with an intumed end portion 29 are positioned with their intumed end portions 29 engaged about the depending portion 27 of the secondary lever 26 and through the rectangular opening 22 where they are held in spaced relation by a fusible element 30 which is positioned therebetween. The opposite sides of the scars 28 are provided with outwardly extending configurations 31 which on their inner surfaces cage the fusible element 30 while their outer surfaces engage the primary lever 20 and prevent movement of the sears relative thereto.

It will thus be seen that a simple inexpensive easy to assemble fire extinguishing sprinkler has been disclosed and that the fusible element is held in compression rather than tension as in many of the prior art structures and that by reason of the arrangement of the scars and their configurations 31 the actual tensioning or strain of the strutlike levers of the sprinkler is not carried on the fusible element but on the more solid metal parts thereof.

It will thus be seen that a relatively simple, inexpensive and highly efficient lever and heat releasable fastening means for a fire extinguishing sprinkler has been disclosed which are particularly suitable in their environment. They have no projecting portions extending outwardly of the sprinkler which may be accidentally damaged and the arrangement of levers with respect to the axial center line of the sprinkler is such that they readily move out of the way upon fusing of the fusible element in the heat releasable fastener, all as hereinbefore described.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A fire extinguishing sprinkler having a frame locating a discharge orifice and a deflector spaced relative thereto, a cap normally closing said discharge orifice and a strutlike assembly of a primary and secondary lever positioned between said cap and said sprinkler frame, a heat releasable fastening device including a pair of sears normally positioned through an opening in said primary lever, intumed end portions of said sears caging said secondary lever and a fusible element normally spacing said sears apart so as to hold said levers in said strutlike assembly, configurations on the outer surfaces of said sears engageable with said first mentioned lever adjacent the opening therein and preventing movement of said sears through said opening while said sears are in normal spaced apart relation.

2. The fire extinguishing sprinkler set forth in claim 1 and wherein the primary lever having the opening therein is bowed longitudinally to a point inwardly from its one end and engaged against a portion of said secondary lever, said secondary lever being of inverted L-shaped configuration, the depending portion of which is normally caged by said sears.

3. The fire extinguishing sprinkler set forth in claim 1 and wherein said configurations on said sears increase t said sears.

he width of 

1. A fire extinguishing sprinkler having a frame locating a discharge orifice and a deflector spaced relative thereto, a cap normally closing said discharge orifice and a strutlike assembly of a primary and secondary lever positioned between said cap and said sprinkler frame, a heat releasable fastening device including a pair of sears normaLly positioned through an opening in said primary lever, inturned end portions of said sears caging said secondary lever and a fusible element normally spacing said sears apart so as to hold said levers in said strutlike assembly, configurations on the outer surfaces of said sears engageable with said first mentioned lever adjacent the opening therein and preventing movement of said sears through said opening while said sears are in normal spaced apart relation.
 2. The fire extinguishing sprinkler set forth in claim 1 and wherein the primary lever having the opening therein is bowed longitudinally to a point inwardly from its one end and engaged against a portion of said secondary lever, said secondary lever being of inverted L-shaped configuration, the depending portion of which is normally caged by said sears.
 3. The fire extinguishing sprinkler set forth in claim 1 and wherein said configurations on said sears increase the width of said sears. 